July 25, Anuradhapura: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the country's development is not one political party's responsibility it is the responsibility of both ruling and the opposition parties to uplift welfare of the public and develop the country.

Addressing the progress review meeting of Anuradhapura district held at the North Central Provincial Council Auditorium today, the President said all should be united to develop the country disregarding party politics.

Representatives of the Opposition were also present at the meeting and the President addressed them as well.

Discussing the development in the district, the President focused special attention to renovate the irrigation tanks in the district and instructed the officials to accelerate those projects as the government has already allocated required funds.

The meeting also focused its attention on finding a solution to the chronic kidney disease that is prevailing among the farming community in the district.

The President further said that a massive programme to provide pure drinking water to each and every household in the North Central Province has already been started.

President Rajapaksa instructed the officials to take measures to immediately halt the illegal constructions carried out on river bunds and to formulate a programme to grant alternate lands to the squatters.

The President also instructed the officials to provide concessions to traditional chena cultivators. The meeting also discussed health and road development activities in the Anuradhapura District.

Following the district meeting, the President launched a national program to present 100,000 motor bicycles for field officials in the state service.

Initiating the program in the Anuradhapura district to present motor cycles to 1,500 field officials of the state sector in the district, the President symbolically handed over keys to the motor cycles to 10 officials.

The motor cycles have been provided to Grama Seva, family health, Samurdhi, agricultural research, district secretariat and divisional secretariat officials with the aim to provide a qualitative and efficient service to the public through state service. The funds for the program have been allocated in the 2014 budget.